Northern Mongolia

Northern Mongolia is a unique place to visit when you travel to Mongolia. Great adventure destination for lifetime memory, you will never forget.

Amarbayasgalant monastery

Amarbayasgalant Monastery was built during 1727-1736, in the honour of Undur Gegeen Zanabazar, the first Bogd, Buddhist leader of Mongolia. He was also a Founder of the Mongol School of religious art and created the minted Buddha Statues that are now highly respected and recognized worldwide. The architectures of this monastery are in perfect harmony with nature and environment. It is situated in the cul-de-sac of a long, deep valley backed by the sheef cliff of Burenkhan Mountain against which the monastery is built. The valley is well-watered by the Evin River and has long been renowned for its rich vegetation and pasture land. In particular thick groves of native Mongolian cherries have attracted people since ancient times until the present and are the reason for the association of this valley with theologies of fertility, re-birth and gardens of paradise.

 Uran Uul mountain

Uran Uul mountain is located in the soum of Khutag-Undur of Bulgan province, it is an extinct volcano whose crater reaches 1686 metres above the ground, has 500 metres in diameter and 50 metres in depth. It’s the most beautiful and the famous extinct volcano in Mongolia. It was active 20 to 25 millions of years ago. In effect, the lava that flowed there many thousands of years ago gave way to a very fertile environment. A hike along a footpath through the Siberian larches will lead you to the crater. You will see a surprising variety of plants, but also many birds and insects, like the Apollo butterfly. In the bottom of the crater, where you will find in its centre a surprising small lake and beautiful dense vegetation. The National Park is composed of two other extinct volcanos: Tulga Uul and Javalch Uul.

 Khuvsgul lake

Khuvsgul is one of seventeen ancient lakes in the world, being more than 2 million years old, and the most pristine as well as being the most significant drinking water reserve of Mongolia. It is located 101 kilometers north of Murun city of Khuvsgul province. The lake has an area of 2,760 square kilometers, is 34-36 kilometers wide, 136 kilometers long, and 262 meters deep, and is located at an altitude of 1,645 meters above sea level. The length of the coastline is 414 kilometers and it is the second largest fresh water resource in Asia. It is located near the northern border of Mongolia, about 200 km (124 mi) west of the southern end of Baikal lake. It is nicknamed the "Younger sister" of those two "sister lakes".   99 streams will flow into Khuvsgul Lake, and a total area of 5,300 square kilometers will be watered. It accounts for 1% of the world's fresh water. 70% of the lake bottom area is more than 100 meters deep. There are 12 species of fish, including Siberian grayling and roach. By the last half of November, it freezes completely, and the thickness of the ice reaches 1 meter. It will be surrounded by majestic high mountains, and in the south west it will be surrounded by the 3000-3200meter high Khoridol Saridag Mountain range and the Bayan Mountain range.

 Darkhad depression

The Darkhad Depression in northern Mongolia is a stunningly beautiful landscape in one of the most remote regions of the least densely populated country in the world. The impressive Horidol Saridag mountains rise up on the southeast side of the basin, while the high altitude Ulaan Taiga comprises the western border, and the Khog, Shishged, and Tengis rivers cross the basin, eventually emptying into the Yenisei River in Siberia. Darkhad depression has more than 100 rivers and about 300 lakes. And if you want to say that this basin is 150 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide, these three words are rejected. The Shishged basin, which can be called the blue depression of Darkhad or the blue pearl, is truly amazing. More than 300 lakes sparkled here and there like broken mirrors. At the intersection of the great boreal forests of the Siberian Taiga and the grassy plains of the Mongolian Steppe, the Darkhad is at a literal crossroads for both nature and culture. A mix of traditional hunting and herding lifeways sustain the nomadic Tuvan reindeer herders and Darkhad sheep-yak-horse-camel herders that live there.

Khoridol Saridag Mountains

Khoridol Saridag Mountains are a 150 km long mountain range located longitudinally from south to north between the western shore of Khovsgol Nuur and the Darkhad depression. With many peaks close to or topping 3000m including the highest peak is Delgerkhaan Uul (3093m), Ikh Uul (2961m) and Uran Dosh Uul (2702m), the Khoridol Saridag Mountains of primarily uplifted dolomite with the very barren, arid upland areas contrasting with lower rich alpine meadows. In 1997, 558,458 acres of the Khoridol Saridag Mountains were established as a Strictly Protected Area – Mongolia’s highest protected status and help to protect numerous mammals including Eurasian elk, red deer, musk deer, wild boar, and European badgers.

 Tsaatan Reindeer people

Mongolian Reindeer People are one of the last groups of nomadic reindeer herders in the world live in the depths of the Taiga in northern Mongolia. Tsaatans use the reindeer as the main way of transportation such as travel for hunting, the collection of firewood, as a pack animal for seasonal migrations, visiting relatives and friends, and traveling to the town for shopping and trade. Reindeer milk is part of Tsaatans' staple food from which they make cheese, milk tea, butter, and yogurt.

The Tsaatans are a national minority with their own language, customs, religion, and a unique way of life, and they speak the Uyghur language. They live in harsh climates of minus 31-50 degrees Celsius.